Hand brake lever and lock



May 22, 1951 D. s. Dl-:voR

HAND BRAKE mm ma. Locx Filedv NOV'. 15, 1945 L F i E Patented May 22, 1951 HAND BRAKE LEVER AND LOCK Don S. Devor, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Houdaille-Hershey Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a. corporation of Michigan Application November 15, 1946, Serial N0. 710,013

3 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to a hand brake lever and lock and more particularly is concerned with a lock for a push-pull type of emergency or parking brake lever construction for automotive Figure 1 is a fragmental, side elevational view, with parts in section, of a push-pull type brake lever showing the lever in Off or brake release position;

vehicles. 5 Figure 2 is a view, partially in elevation and There are in use at the present time automotive partially in vertical section taken substantially vehicle brake structures in which a lever is operon line II-II of Fig. 1, through the support which able by pull push straight line action to set and is attached to the instrument board of the verelease the brakes and in which the lever is held hicle and showing the relationship of the parts in brake setting position by latch means includwhen'the lever is locked against turning moveing a dog or detent engaging one of a series of ment; and notches formed as a part of the lever. In some Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing of such constructions the lever is disconnected the relation of the parts when the lever is unfrom the dog or detent by a turning movement locked for releasing the brakes. of the lever about its longitudinal axis to disy Referring to Figure 1, I0 designates the lower engage a notch from the detent, and then is remargin of the instrument board of an automotive tained in turned position by hand for push action vehicle, and II designates a portion of the dash to release the brakes and return the lever to its board of the vehicle. f Oli position. The instrument board III is formed with an in- An object of this invention is to utilize the supturned ledge I 0a along its lower margin. A supporting bracket for a brake on a vehicle below porting member I2 having a head portion' 12a an instrument panel for housing a brake lock may be secured to the undersurface of the ledge in a readily accessible but somewhat concealed Illa by bolts 33, or other means. position A bearing plate I3, having an aperture there- The present invention also has for an object through, is secured to the dash board II'by bolts the provision of means for locking such a lever 30, the dash board having an aperture thereagainst turning movement to release the brakes through in register with the aperture in the after the lever has been moved to brake setting plate I3 when the same is applied in position. or applying position. A tube I4 extends from the supporting member Another object of the present invention is to I2 through the plate I3, and Vat its front end is provide means for preventing turning movement entered in a pocket I5 formed in a supporting of a lever of the push-pull type to release it from member I2. Normally the rear end of the tube its set position. I4 projects through the dash board II and the A further object of the present invention is to plate I3, as may be observed in Figure 1. provide means in a straight line acting or direct The supporting member I2 is formed with a pull' brake lever Structure for permitting movehorizontally disposed hole or aperture I6 through ment 01c the lever in brake Setting 0r applying itin register with the pocket i5. Movable withdirection while restraining the lever against turnin the tube I4 is the -brake lever or bar Il which ing movement to release the brakes. passes through the aperture I 6 of the supporting A still further object of the present invention is 40 member I2 and at its outer end is provided with to provide means for positively locking a `pusha handle I8 which may be integral with the bar pull brake lever against unauthorized or accior may be a separate member suitably attached dental release when the lever has been moved to the bar. `to set or apply the brakes. The lever or bar I'I is shown as provided with Another and yet further object of the present a series of ratchet teeth I9 extending along the invention is to provide, in a push-pull brake lever top side of the bar and constituting a rack` A construction, a key operated cylinder lock for longitudinally extending slot or groove 20 is preventing accidental or unauthorized release of milled in the bar I'I in opposition to the rack. the lever when in brake applying position. The supporting member I2 is preferably formed The above, other and further objects of the as a die casting and as so formed has a vertical present invention will be apparent from the foltransverse slot 2I and a longitudinally extending lowing description and accompanying drawing. vertical slot 22, which slots intersect. The lower rThe preferred embodiment of the present inend of the supporting member I2 is open and lvention is illustrated in the accompanying drawnormally closed by a plug plate 23. Aing and the views thereof are as follows; v, Integrally formed with the supporting member I2 is a laterally projecting hub 24 which carries a cylinder lock 25 with its axis horizontally disposed. The inner end of the cylinder of the lock carries an eccentrically disposed end piece 26 on which is secured a cam disc 21 which is swung about the axis of the cylinder whenever the cylinder is actuated by a key 3|.

Disposed in the upper end ofthe vertical transverse slot 2| isa detent 28 made in the form of a latch plate which is U-shaped in elevation the lower margin of fashioned to conform to the contour of the teeth I9 of the rack on the lever or bar I'T. Within the central portion of the detent 23 is a spring' 29 which, at one end, bears against the underside of the head of the supporting member I2, and at the other end against the detent, as may be observed in Figures 1, 2 and 3. IThe spring 2`9Yf'unctions to urge the detent 28 downwardly the. slot 2|.

When the parts are assembled, the lever or bar H' is inserted through the aperture I6 of the supporting member I2, with its teeth I9v uppermost, for engagement with one of them by the detent 28. This construction brings the milled slot at what is then the bottom of the lever or bar I1 in alignment with the arc of oscillation of the cam disc 21 on the cylinder lock.

Figure 2 illustrates the engagement of the detent 28 with one of theY teeth I9 of the rack of the lever or bar I1 and the cam disc 21 engaged inthe slot 20. With the parts as thus arranged, the lever or bar I1 may be moved to the right, as viewed in Figure 1, by a pulling action imposed on its handle I8, to set or apply the brakes.

Itis to be noted that the lever or bar I1 may be pulled to apply the brakes whether or not the cam disc 21 is entered in the slot 20 of the lever When it is desired to release the brakes, after lever or bar I 1 has been pulled to apply the brakes, the handle I8 is given a turn to thus turn the lever or bar I1 about its longitudinal axis and thus disengage the detent 28 from the rack, the operator holding the handle I8 in the turned direction to push the lever or bar to the left to release the brakes, the bar being moved inwardly to fully releasev the brakes, whereupon the handle I8 is then turned to lie in a vertical plane, Whereupon the detent 28 will engage a notch |9 of the rack directly under it.

When a brake lever of the push-pull type is pulled out to apply the brakes, the handle thereof is in a position where it may accidentally be struckby a leg of the driver leaving or entering the vehicle, or turned by a child and thus accidentally release the brakes.

To guard against accidental release of the brakes, locking means are provided.

The illustrated form of locking means includes the cam disc 21 movable into and out of the slot 20 in the lever or bar I1.

When the cylinder lock has been actuated by 'key 3| to move the disc 21 into engagement with the slot 20, the parts appear shown in Fig-Y ures 1 and 2, which is the locked position of the parts. When the cam disc is entered in the slot 1t 1s, of course, impossible to turn the lever or bar I1 sufficiently to disengage the detent 28 from the rack tooth in which it is at the time engaged.

It is to be observed that the cam disc 21 may be moved into locking position while the lever or bar I1 is in its Off position, as shown in Figure 1. Thus when the lever or bar is. mQVQd which is wedge-shapedlto apply the brakes, it may be pulled outwardly to cause engagement of the detent 28 with one of the teeth of the racks to thereby latch the lever in brake setting or holding position.

As long as the cam disc 21 is engaged in the slot 20 of the lever or bar I1 the bar cannot be turned or rotated to disengage it from its latched position'.

When it is decided to release the brakes the cylinder lock is actuated by the key 3| to withdraw the cam disc 21 from engagement with the slot 20 in the bar, moving the cam disc to the position shown in Figure 3. When the cam disc 21 is free of` the slot 20 in the bar, the bar may then be turned to disengage the detent from a ratchet tooth, as shown in Figure 3, and the bar returned to Oil position.

A cable 3| is connected to the inner end of the lever orf bar I1, in any suitable manner to thus connect the lever or bar to the brake system of the vehicle.

Inorder to provide extended bearing surface for the inner end of the tube I4, a ring 34 may be secured to or formed as a part of bearing plate I3. With such construction the bearing plate I3 may be made of thin material, thus reducing its cost of manufacture.

It will be observed that the brake lever structure of the present invention is one in which a push-pull type of lever may be locked when the brakes are set against accidental or unauthorized release movement. l

The disposition of the brake lever below the instrument panel and the association of the key operated lock in the brake support makes it possible to manufacture and assemble the parts at low cost. Also with the key operated lock in the support partially conceals the lock but at the same time makes it accessible to the vehicle operator.

It will, of course, be understood that various details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention and it is, therefore, not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination in a direct pull brake lever structure, an elongated longitudinally movable member, ratchet teeth on one surface of said elongated member, a support housing for guiding the longitudinal movement of said elongated member, said elongated member having a longitudinal slot in a surface thereof opposite to the ratchet teeth and substantially coextensive with the longitudinal extent of said ratchet teeth, a disc member pivotally mounted for movement into said slot to prevent rotation of said elongated member but permitting longitudinal movement thereof.

2. In combination in a direct pull brake lever assembly for use in an automobile, a pull rod, a housing having a ange portion for attachment to a fixed portion of said automobile, a tubular portion for guiding the movement of said pull rod and a support portion extending laterally from said tubular portion, a key con trolled disc member journaled in said support portion, ratchet teeth disposed across one surface of said rod, pawls carried by Vsaid housing engageable with said ratchet teeth for holding the pull rod in incremental brake setting position within the housing, the pull rod being rotatable to clear the ratchet teeth from the pawls.

a longitudinal slot in said pull rod substantially coextensive with said ratchet teeth, said disc member being movable into said elongated slot to prevent rotation of said pull rod to pawl releasing position while permitting longitudinal movement of said pull rod to further brake setting position.

3. In a direct pull brake lever assembly, a support housing adapted to be attached to a convenient portion of the inside of an automobile, a pull rod rotatably and longitudinally reciprocably supported by said housing, the pull rod being attachable at its forward end to a brake setting cable and having a handle at its other end extending rearwardly from said housing, the housing and the pull rod having interengageable means operable in one rotary position of the pull rod for retaining the pull rod in brake setting position to which the pull rod is pulled rearward- 1y by the handle while in said rotary position, said means being disengageable by rotation of the pull rod to another position for returning the pull rod forwardly to non-brake setting position with respect to the housing, and locking means carried by said housing in position for ready access including a member movable toward and away from the pull rod, the pull rod having a longitudinal radially opening slot therein extending throughout the range of maximum rearward movement of the pull rod relative to said locking member for brake setting purposes, said locking member engaging in said slot to hold the pull rod against turning throughout the full range of the brake setting rearward movement of the pull rod, and means to retract said locking member from said slot at will to release the pull rod for rotary movement into the position wherein said interengaging means are released for return of the pull rod to forward brake releasing position` DON S. DEVOR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,238,989 Cooper l- Sept. 4, 1917 1,650,765 Mercer Nov. 29, 1927 2,256,697 Weber Sept. 23, 1941 2,295,792 Jondus Sept. l5, 1942 

